Travel on Airbnb was worth €3 million to the Westmeath economy in 2022, according to a new independent report from Oxford Economics, commissioned by Airbnb.
Travel on Airbnb draws hundreds of thousands of people to the country each year, showcasing one-of-a-kind accommodation in places that visitors might otherwise not see. This activity contributes millions to the visitor economy and has become a vital part of the Irish tourism sector.
The report highlights how home sharing continues to create significant economic benefits for families and communities in Westmeath, as well as the wider tourism economy, particularly in distributing tourism to rural and lesser-visited parts of Ireland.
Airbnb a fundamental pillar of the tourism economy in Ireland
Travel on Airbnb in Ireland is vital to the country’s tourism economy, and provides a sizeable share of the country’s accommodation offering, accounting for 6% of all nights in paid accommodation in the country in 2022.
In Westmeath alone, the total number of guest nights booked on Airbnb in 2022 was 31,000.
Airbnb-linked spending represented 10.5% of all international tourism-related spending across Ireland, and the report values Airbnb’s total contribution to Ireland’s GDP at over €500 million in 2022.
Guest spending in Westmeath for 2022 was valued at €3 million, distributing the economic benefits of tourism beyond just local Hosts, to local businesses, shops and restaurants.
Airbnb continues to disperse travel beyond urban centres
Airbnb has always encouraged guests to visit lesser-travelled destinations, and the report highlights how Airbnb is dispersing economic benefits to rural parts of the country.
In 2022, the spending footprint attributable to Airbnb guests in the Midlands region was worth €7 million to Ireland’s GDP.
In 2022, as many nights were stayed in the South-West as in Dublin, and the West region is similarly not far behind the capital. Airbnb-related economic activity in Dublin was valued at €152 million, accounting for 30% of the total nationally, but this was closely followed by activity in South-West counties of Kerry and Cork which was valued at €107 million.
Travel on Airbnb supports jobs for Irish people across the country
The report found that employment linked to Airbnb activity accounted for around 5% of total tourism employment in 2022. In total, almost 5,000 jobs were supported by activity on Airbnb across Ireland last year, with the hospitality and tourism, food and beverage services, arts and entertainment, and transport sectors all benefiting from activity on the platform.
In Westmeath, 60 jobs were linked to Airbnb in 2022, and over 140 jobs in the wider Midlands region.
The West of Ireland saw the largest proportion of Airbnb-linked employment last year, with more than 1,200 jobs supported by activity on the platform. This is followed by the South-West with over 870 and the Border Region at 860. In Dublin, more than 860 jobs were supported by Airbnb in 2022.
Private rooms provide essential part of Ireland’s tourism offering
Private rooms on Airbnb offer guests authentic travel experiences and unique opportunities to interact with locals, but they also help generate positive economic impact for Irish communities.
In 2022, private room bookings accounted for 16% of all bookings on Airbnb in Ireland, representing over 700,000 guest nights across the country, and contributing over €80 million to the Irish economy.
The report also shows that many international visitors prefer sharing accommodation as opposed to renting entire homes. With international visitors generally spending more than their domestic counterparts, the supply of private rooms stays on Airbnb in Ireland is particularly important.
